Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Once we had finalised the date of our wedding and where it was taking place, the next big thing on my to do list was to buy my dress.

Online I saw so many different recommendations about how early you should shop for it. In the end, I found my perfect gown around 6 months before the wedding and it was one of the things I’ve been happiest to tick off!

Aside from the fact it was amazing to find ‘The One’, I also felt like there was an incessant ticking clock reverberating through my brain as I was hunting it down, and finding it felt like I had finally found the battery slot and ripped them right out.

The pressure lifted and the nightmares of me waking up on my wedding day and tearing through my wardrobe for something to wear dissipated. Thankfully.

Tracking down your dream gown can be overwhelming and, when it comes to tackling that task, I have a couple of pointers...

Don’t expect it to ‘The One’ to be the best one

I’ve heard of people going into the first shop, putting on the first dress, falling in love with it and settling on it right there and then.

That wasn’t the case for me. In fact, ‘The One’ for me was about dress 22. I have never been someone who fantasised about what my wedding dress would look like and so it wasn’t until I started looking at magazines that I began to get an idea.

That idea then changed twice. And then I got to the shop and that idea changed again.

It isn’t until you start trying them on that you really get a clear feel of what you like the look of or what suits you and definitely don’t be disheartened if it takes you a couple of tries to get the one that is right.

Don’t be afraid to try on styles you hadn’t considered

My mum and bridesmaids pointed out dresses that I hadn’t even thought of putting on but when I did, found myself totally surprised.

Sure you know your body shape and your own ideas, but you may not always be right! As well as that, it’s pretty good fun to see yourself in lots of different styles because after all, you’re only going to get the opportunity once!

Do take lots of photos

I’ve said before that I have a wedding scrapbook and once the big day has been, I’m going to stick in all the photos of the dresses I tried before I find my own. I think it’ll be really lovely to look back and see how my ideas changed in what o was trying.

It’s also really funny to look back at the stark contrast between my facial expressions when I had some ‘ok’ dresses on, to when I had THE dress on. My Maid Of Honour snapped me the moment it clicked that I found it and my face had completely lit up!

Don’t show your dress to everyone

This is personal preference but only a very small number of people have seen my dress.

There’s a real temptation to tell people about the big event that you are spending months of your life planning, but I want there to be surprises for our guests. That extends to them not having a clue what it is I will be rocking up in.

Don’t forget to wear good underwear!

Wedding dresses are not the easiest to get into so there will be a stylist on hand to help you in and zip you up. Taking that into consideration, I made sure to wear my freshly purchased bra and pant set and I felt much more confident in that too.

It’s probably not the day to whip out any bright patterned numbers - but each to their own!

Monday, January 14, 2019

After the craziness of December, inevitably once January rolls around, I tend to retreat. So long festive nights out, cocktails and parties. New year, new evening plans. Quiet nights in are what I am all about right now.

When it comes to the perfect cosy evening, for me, there are a few very important ingredients.

Face Mask

If I am going for maximum relaxation, I will always reach for a face mask. 7th Heaven have a huge range of different ones, all of which are really affordable. One of my particular favourites is the Charcoal Peel-Offmask*.

If you aren't familiar with it, charcoal is great for drawing our bacteria and impurities and absorbs excess oil and unclogs pores. In this mask, there is also witch hazel and birch leaf. The former helps to ease inflammation and reduces redness and the latter is a source of vitamin C, which soothes skin.

With the combination of these ingredients, it is no real surprise that the mask has a really calming effect on the skin. Removing it is fuss-free, as it's just a case of peeling it right off. The mask has a really cooling effect and after using it, my face felt so smooth and soft.

The recommendation is that you use the masks around once a week and since they are usually priced around £1 each, its a really reasonable priced beauty indulgence.

Candles

I love candles and they certainly add to the cosy vibe. I've been using some lately by a brand called Shearer Candles.

A Scottish brand, they create delicious scented candles using raw materials. They ensure their candles use a really concentrated fragrance, to ensure that the delightful aroma fremains strong for the life of the candle. And that, they certainly achieve.

I have one of their Lemon Zest candles, which is packaged in a bright yellow jar and smells really bold and fruity. My fiancé isn't much of a fan when it comes to candles (I have quite a few) but this one is really liked. My favourite though is the Clean Slate - apt name for a new year too. The scent comes from notes of jasmine, lily and white rose. Sometimes rose scents can be a bit overpowering but the combination of these florals give a really lovely fragrance.

The candles that I have retail fro around £9. I'm not sure of the burning time, but the jar is a really reasonable size. You can peruse their other collections on their website: https://www.shearer-candles.com.

A Good Book

This year, I am challenging myself to read more. So far, I am really enjoying getting stuck into a book more and while I haven't turned my back on the world of Netflix entirely, I am enjoying that I am reaching for a book rather than just a TV remote. I set an initial target of 25 books and I am staying on track by logging everything I've read on Good Reads, but I am feeling inspired and definitely want to smash that goal!

If you have any recommendations of things I should read, drop me a comment and let me know.

And last but not least...
Of course, the last key addition is of course some good snacks and a decent fluffy blanket, just to ensure absolute comfort.